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Ban on noisy freight wagons pays off
Photo: DB
Noise pollution from railfreight traffic in Germany has decreased significantly with the ban on loud freight wagons, according to checks carried out by the German federal railway authority (Eisenbahn-Bundesamt, EBA).
Between May 2019 and September 2021, the proportion of quiet freight wagons at the EBA's measuring stations rose from 56% to almost 90%.
In Andernach and Lahnstein in the Middle Rhine Valley, which are particularly affected by rail noise, more than 94% of freight wagons are already equipped with the whisper brakes, according to Allianz pro Schiene. When passing, they produce a sound of less than 86 dB. A noise level above this value is considered particularly harmful to health. (ben)